The New York City Council has passed a series of measures that affect police operations, including a hotly debated one that makes it easier to sue officers for misconduct. The council voted last week to adopt five bills and three resolutions that it said are “designed to increase police accountability and reimagine public safety in our city.” One of the most significant of the measures adopted by the council was to eliminate qualified immunity, a doctrine that insulates government officials from civil liability for their conduct. Qualified immunity became the focus of intense public debate after it was cast into the limelight amid protests last summer following George Floyd’s police-custody death. Proponents say the doctrine is important to allow government officials such as police officers to carry out their jobs with protection from undue interference and threats of liability. They also say it prevents frivolous or retaliatory lawsuits against officers. Critics …